Wednesday, 22 June 2016

The Unicorn Queen, The Samurai & The Wizard Part 2

In a flash, the barn roof exploded and lightning surged through it, hitting Hocirne head on. All his world turned white and bright hot. He was consumed by it.

He un-scrunched his eyelids when his body didn't feel like it was being burned alive. A pure white room greeted him, it was expansive and ominous.

"Hello son."

Hocirne retreated in horror, "F-Father! How can this be?"

A man stepped forward as if from a fold in the white, his smile broadened causing little crinkle lines on the side of each of his eyes. He appeared to be in the same clothing as he was when Hocirne last saw him. Tattered dark green shirt, torn brown pants with a faded scarf around his neck.

"The great wizard of Old, thought it best if I met with you and explained things, such as they are. But first are you just going to stand there or are you going to give a father a long lost hug?"

Hocirne flung himself into his father's strong and farm study arms. He couldn't believe his luck, two beautiful maidens coming to revealing a magical destiny and seeing his father all in one day. Surely this cannot be His life. "Wait, explain what things?"

His father put Hocirne in front of him, steadying his hands on his shoulders. He appraised his son, "You've grown to a mighty fine young man my boy, I am so proud of you."

"Cobblewalsh, you've taken care of your mother and the farm and dreamed of a life filled with adventure. I couldn't be more proud." His father cleared his throat and nodded to an imaginary force. "Right then, son we don't have much time. You have been chosen to become the new Wizard of the North. A savior for some, a nightmare for others. You must take heed, do not use the power as a crutch and never give more than the people deserve. A path has been laid out, you must promise me son. Promise me to follow the path. The wizard of Old was quite adamant on this."

Hocirne sighed deeply, so many rules and he hasn't even started being a wizard yet. "I promise father, but please don't go, can't you come with me?"

The entire room shook and a thunderous roar could be heard. His father looked unto him with sad eyes, "Such things are forbidden my boy, it would throw off the balance between life and death. Now you must go, stay too long here and you may not never return."

A tugging sensation appeared in his gut before he could protest, he was pulled back into his place in the center of the barn.

A single tear trailed down his cheek.

He smelled burnt ozone all around him and hurried out to help the maidens up as they were thrown from him. He looked up and palmed his face at the destruction. "Mother is going to kill me."

"What happened? Is he a wizard now?" Ari asked as she frown in frustration.

Eru looked unto him with a sparkle in her eye, she seemed to know alot more than she was letting on. "I am unsure, well Hocirne, how do you feel?"

Yes, how did he feel? None of this morning chores reflected in his muscles or his bones, his mind felt pristinely clear, thoughts no longer jumbled. But there was something else too, something had taken root deep within him. He closed his eyes to focus on it, reach for it. "I feel it, it's there."

Ari huffed out a breath, "Finally! That took forever, let's get moving then."

"No, wait, Hocirne I have a book of spells in my travel sack. It will help you." Eri moved to reach for the sack but halted when she marveled as Hocirne hand begin to glow a bright white & yellow light.

"First, we need to go to the village of Maca, it's 30 leagues from here and I feel it calling to me or rather the people calling out. And we can't go there looking this, not as clear outsiders." Hocirne waved out his glowing hand, touching the power within him and bringing to forethought, his intentions. Their clothes were suddenly changed, into the styles he had seen on his one visit to Maca.

Ari looked down, appalled at the state of her dress, "This is absurd, I will not be seen in this I tell you. I will not."

A palm touched his, soft and delicate, sending a shiver through his whole body. Eru had taken his hand to study it in wonder. "How-How ever did you do that? I was advised that the wizard would need spells to do such things?"

Hocirne retracted his palm, feeling his ears heat up. Being this close to her, seeing the flakes of golden within her emerald eyes, unnerved him. "I uh, I don't know exactly how I did it but I was never one for the rules. I guess I just don't believe they have power over me."

***

Their horses halted at the entrance to Maca, chaos was the only word to describe the scene before them. Houses ablaze, people running in terror, children left crying and a dragon. A massively red scaled dragon sailed through the smoke filled sky. It's fury echoing in the thunderous roars it bellowed out. The very same roar he had heard in his vision. This must be what he was sensing.

"Why it's a dragon ofcourse, and we're going to talk to her." Eru smiled broadly like she knew this was going to be the outcome all along.

"Let's tend to the villagers first. The need to know that the wizard is back." Hocirne concentrated and out stretched his hands above his head. A blast of white energy shot to the sky and as it reached a peak, crescendoed out in an arc around the village. Invisible, but still there. "There, that should keep them safe for the time being. Shall we?" He gestured out to the maidens.

Eru stood out in the open field, under the swirling Dragon without so much as a care in the world. As if summoning it, the massive beast came barreling to the earth before her. It halted before them, fiery plumes still etching at the sides of its mouth.

"The poor thing has lost her baby," Eru said, now caressing the sides of dragon's blood red scales.

Hocirne looked on, flabbergasted. "You can speak to it - I mean her?"

"Yes. Her name is Brianna. Here come." Eru reached for his hand, but Hocirne avoided the contact and instead placed his own hand upon Brianna's scales. Eru's voice took a whisper to his ear, "Feel her rhythm. Feel her power. Yes, there. Now listen to her speak."

Hocirne's eyes popped open, "I can hear her!" He exclaimed in wonder.

"Eru please this doesn't make any sense. We did not come here to rescue some infant beast. We came here to find the Wizard so he can help me find Hterag."

"Wait, how do you know Hterag your majesty?" Hocirne asked now perplexed.

The queen's eyes lit up, "You've known Hterag in this land?"

"Yes, he's my uncle."

***

Brianna scoured the skies above them as they raced through the land to find her baby dragon. Hocirne could tell that in their silence Ari and him were both dealing with the revelation. The revelation that Hterag, her lost love was his long lost uncle. His father and uncle had had a huge falling out when Hterag wanted nothing to do with the farm after their parents passing. Hocirne had thought of his uncle as a gallant hero. Out accomplishing great deeds and going on fantastical adventures. Never could he have imagined that his uncle would open a portal to another realm, fall in love with a queen and then get himself captured by this usurper Toad person. He vowed that he would do all in his power to save his uncle and reunite the queen with him.

An arrow whizzed past his head as Brianna shouted from above that she sensed her baby nearby. Men appeared from behind the trees, dirty and sneering, all of them. A dozen of them notched their arrows when a cry erupted from the forest behind them. The wailing touched at his hurt, the baby dragon was in pain. A darkness rumbled from the earth below him and he turned to see a murderous look on Eru's face. She jumped off her horse as the arrows sailed through the air, surely to hit them should it land. Eru's unwrapped her sleeves so that they overtook her hands. Just as the arrows were about to land upon them, she began the most beautifully enthralling dance Hocirne ever had the honor of seeing. Using her flowing sleeves, she changed the directory of every arrow before her. They all hit to ground around them. The barbarians looked at a loss, unsure of what to do next.

The rumbling in the earth began again and he knew the dance was over, "You sniveling sacks of pigs. I will make you pay for ever having touched a scale on the poor creature."

A gust of wind blew out in her wake as she flew out at the men with astonishing speed. Eru didn't even draw her katana, only using her hands she rendered each one of the barbarians either unconscious or dead. Deadly hands, twisting necks and bloodying her opponents. He could not imagine that they were the same that touched his palm not so long ago.

The baby dragon was found deep within the Maca forest with two barbarians stationed to guard him. Hocirne pushed out his palms and the men were hurtling into breaking trees. Brianna was once more reunited with her kin. She nuzzled at the little dark blue scaled dragon. He huffed at her affections.

"There, now that we've saved this lot. Can we please get back to our mission?" Ari said warming her hands over the fire.

"I can't just leave, I need to talk to my mother about all of this." Hocirne gestured out in dramatic fashion. "But I promise you, your majesty, I will help you find my uncle. He is family and family is everything to me."

"No, no this cannot be." Hocirne looked out in horror at the scene before him. A infantry of armor clad men stood on steads and the very ground he'd called home for so very long. His mother was among them, being held firm by a soldier with no face to be seen.

"You will hand over the wizard to us now. He is to serve in my queen's army. That is his purpose." The no faced man commanded.

"What? Who the hell is your bloody queen? Bring her forth so that we may have words." Ari thundered forward with balled up fists. Eru halted her.

"Please, please just don't hurt my mother." Hocirne pleaded, with no hope in sight. He could try his magic but the no faced man seemed to be in no gaming mood. A quick thrust from that blade in his hand and it would be all over.

"You have no say in this outcome wizard. It is your protectors who must decide before my queen orders any further bloodshed."

Eru stepped out, "What do you mean further bloodshed? This is the Wizard of the North. None are higher. You will pay heed soldier boy."

The other soldiers laughed and the no faced man shouted for quiet, "That title holds no honor any longer Gaijin. My queen rules over these lands now and-" He broke of as a whisper appeared on the wind.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Eru screamed out as she picked up whisper on the winds. But it was too late. The blade had already been thrust into Hocirne's mother.

Brianna bellowed from above and came soaring down in anger. Worse still was the sight of her shaking the earth as she crumbled. The soldiers had been ready for this, their leader had pulled out a ruby. Deep and blood red, the color of Brianna. Before Eru could move, the soldier was on the dragon. Stabbing her through the heart with a golden sword.

He touched at her, "Forgive me Brianna... thank you for your sacrifice."

The baby dragon wailed beside them and Eru did all she could to hold him back. She look out at Hocirne, he had sunk to his knees. Like them, unable to process what had just happened. Obviously more so. Her heart broke for him.

A melody broke through the chaos, the sweetest sound she had ever heard. It was Ari! She was singing. Her words, her tone were utterly captivating. Eru could feel the power within them. It resonated with her very soul, swaying her. And then all the world around her faded.

***

Eru was thrown awake by the thrusts of Ari, a massive storm out around them. She screamed through the torrent of rain, wind and thunder. Eru sat up groggily as the scene unfolded before her. Trees and even boulders were being uprooted by the sheer force of the storm as it raged about. At the center of it, was Hocirne. Again on his knees but now in pain. She could hear his cries of sorrow and despair.

"I can't go near him! His magic is out of control!" Ari shouted beside her.

"Well, what did you expect? The boy did just lose his mother." A voice came from behind that startled them. A white-bearded man appeared as if through a fold in the very storm.

"OH right, who the bloody hell is this now?" Ari fumed

"What is it you call it? Ah yes, I suppose my fast-tongued name would be Merlin. I was apprentice to the Great Wizard of Old and I am here for the boy." Merlin stood there smiling serenely, the fury of the storm that battered at Eru and Ari, seemed to not bother him at all. He waved out a hand and the storm seemed to dissipate around them, energy began to glow and they were warmed.

"Where will you take him?" Eru asked in concern.

"He must go where my master went. He must walk the path laid out for him. His 400-year journey must be-"

"400 years! Have you lost your mind old man? We cannot wait that long." Ari exclaimed balling up her fists.

"Worry not my child, I sense the urgency of your words. Time moves differently for us wizards. He will be returned unto thee within a fortnight."

Eru looked back at Hocirne, magic bolts of energy shooting out from him as he clutched at his sides. The pain of his loss was now uncontrollable and physically tormenting him. "He shouldn't have to go through this. I failed him."

Merlin crouched down and cupped her chin, "Hmmm you feel more deeply than most, don't you my young samurai. He and thee are connected. A wizard and his guardian, such shall it be as it has ever been. I fear the darkness of this loss will corrupt him should he stay here, he must journey with me or alas his terrible pain will become all that he knows."

Eru sighed deeply, an incredible weight now reflected in her shoulders. "Please bring him back to me."

Merlin nodded and with that, he snapped his fingers, taking Hocirne and the storm with him.